Ladies & Gents, your attention please....

markthewood · August 2004

Ok, here's the deal, I've been spending alot of time lately trying to figure out a "can't miss" way to grill fajitas. I've treied both skirt steak and flank steak. Is there a difference? Secondly, I've tried all types of mariades from Italian Salad Dressing to plain old lime juice. While I like the lime juice flavoring, I'm beginning to wonder if there is a point of diminishing return on the length of time you marinate in lime juice. I've tried "chimmi churri" sauce as a marinade as well as soy sauce. I can get the flavor close, but can't seem to get the tenderness as consistant from steak to steak.[p]Does anyone know how to get it right? Please let me know!

Spring Chicken · August 2004

markthewood,
If I remember correctly, at last years Texas Eggfest I just used some fresh squeezed lime juice then followed with some Fiesta Fijita Seasoning mix. I didn't let it stay on long before I put the meat on the grill direct. Even im my rum 'n coke induced state, I heard they were good. I know they disappeared as fast as I could cook them.[p]Spring "Still Searching For The Perfect Margarita" Chicken
Spring Texas USA

Steve-B · August 2004

markthewood,[p]I like using skirt steak because of the price. I usally can find it 3-5 dollars less a lb. [p]How are you cooking the meat? I do mine hot and fast, and never past medium-medium-rare.

Steve-B · August 2004

[p]Couple more things... I really like the Lowery's Fajita mix. I add a couple of squirts of fresh lime juice after the meat comes off the grill.

1044 · August 2004

Steve-B,
Skirt steak in these parts is $4.99.

Steve-B · August 2004

1044,[p]That is about what I pay. Flank Steak is $8.99-$9.99.

PG · August 2004

markthewood,
I make mine with flank steak cooked direct at a high temp...usually 500-600 for 4 mins a side until desired doneness. I marinate in lime juice ....tequila....and fresh chopped garlic...and some soy sauce.....perfect every time....HTH....Page

Bob V · August 2004

When I lived in Louisiana I had a good friend from the valley of Texas down near Mission who was delighted to find a butcher who could cut fajitas for him. He told me that "real" fajitas are a specific cut of beef, different from flank, and that you had to find an Hispanic butcher to get them. Over in Texas he'd be able to get them all the time in the grocery store, but outside Texas no one knew the cut. Anyone from Texas confirm this?[p]Aside from the cut, he'd marinate the strips overnight in onions and oil & vinegar with lime juice.[p]Bob V

Bob V · August 2004

Followup confirmation to my own post. This from the site link below:[p]Like so many other aspects of Mexican cooking, there are unexpected subtleties in the seemingly simple preparation of fajitas. For example, most of the skirt steak available in supermarkets is tough—that’s why it was made into hamburger until Texans sold the sizzle. So, fajitas usually require considerable tenderizing. This can be accomplished by machine (which ruins the texture), through a marinade (which changes its taste), or with a good powdered tenderizer, which works fairly well. If you decide to use the latter, I recommend Adolph’s® All Natural, Sodium Free, Original Unseasoned. It does a good job without materially affecting the flavor.
There is, however, another solution that has been a carefully guarded secret. Most supermarket skirt steak comes from what is called the inside cut. That, of course, infers that there is an outside cut. There is, and it is night and day more tender than the inside cut. (The inside cut is on the inside near the stomach, while the outside flap is, as one would imagine, outside, near the skin). But can you get it? We can in some South Texas supermarkets, but it is often difficult to find elsewhere. Just ask your butcher (bearing in mind that he or she may not even know that there are two different cuts)![p]
If you cannot find the outside cut, there is yet another option, but one that some purists consider cheating. There is a sirloin flap that looks exactly like a skirt steak, is much more tender than the inside cut skirt steak, and has much the same flavor and texture as the outside skirt cut. Unfortunately, it too may be difficult to find.
To be authentic, fajitas should be natural in both flavor and texture, with nothing added but some lime juice, salt and pepper, and the passionate kiss of mesquite smoke. If you cannot find the outside cut of the skirt steak or the sirloin substitute, I suggest you use the powdered tenderizer, as it adds the least amount of unnatural flavor. [p]Bob V
[ul][li]Fajitas[/ul]

Bobby Que · August 2004

I use skirt steak in preference to flank steak for fajitas. Skirt has a little more fat in it then flank, and seems to have a more beefy flavor to me. [p]I make a marinade with classic Coca-Cola, lime juice, fajita powder and whatever. An overnight marinade is better then a few hours. The Coca-cola gives the meat some flavor, and provides sugar to help form a seared crust.[p]You should quickly sear the skirt steak (or flank) at temp of about 700 degrees. The meat is thin and cooks quickly. I like it rare to medium rare, so a 1-2 minute per side cook is all you need. I only dwell if the meat seems to rare (I use my thumb to check doneness).[p]You need to slice the steak across the grain (and at a slight bias) to help make it as tender as possible.[p]It seems to me that these 2 cuts of meat can vary considerably as to tenderness. Sometimes, no matter what you do, they come out tough! That's when an extra Margarita comes in handy!

Ladies & Gents, your attention please....

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